Gauge for aligning a string of pipe with a grade line



Patented Jan. 13, 1953 GAUGE FOR ALIGNING A STRING OF'PIPE WITH A GRADELINE John A. Mitchell, Mount Pleasant, Pa.

Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,443

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an instrument and more particularly .toan instrument to be used with a grade line.

In the laying of pipe in a trench, such as water and sewer pipe, themethod used today is to erect batter boards, and stretch 'a grade-linestring between them. The bases of the batter boards are placedtransversely across a trench on the surface of ground, one edge of theuprights being on the center line of a trench, and the string stretchedso that it is over the center line of the trench and against one edge ofthe uprights. Astaif withgrade line marked thereon is used for settingpipe in the trench to grade.

This arrangement interferes with various methods that 'areemployed forlowering pipe into a trench, an example beingpulley andtackle. Workmenwhen using such equipment, and ofttimes vthe tackle or pipe, will becomeengaged with .thegrade string, thus fouling same. This causes loss oftime for the reason the grade line has to be re-established.

.It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aninstrument so designed that the grade line may be offset from the centerline of .a trench.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a gradeinstrument that will permit the erection of batter boards on one side ofa trench.

A still further object of the presentinvention is the provision of agrade instrument or staff having horizontal adjustable means.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of agrade instrument or staff having vertical adjustable means.

vA still further object .of the present invention is the provision of ;agrade instrument or staff having adjustable means for engagement with agrade line that is offset from the center of a trench.

A still further object of thepresent invention is the provision of meanson the staff for adjusting the staff in the vertical, horizontal or atan angle.

With these and other objects in view, the ad vantages of the presentinvention will become more fully apparent as reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is afront elevational view-of the staff and illustrating thevertical and horizontal adjusting means. I

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of thestafi and the adjustablemeans.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the staff.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure'l and illustrating the adjustablearm in an extendedposition, the figure being enlarged, with partsomitted.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, illustratingthe adjustable arms and plate, the figure being enlarged.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the T-shaped plate member.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional View of a trench and illustratingthe batter boards, grade line, pipe and staff.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a trench and illustratingthe application of the device to pipe and grade line.

Referring to the drawing the numeral It represents the device and itcomprises a staff having a body I l of solid or tubular material and abase l2, and reinforcing arms .3 that may be secured to the base andbodyby screws or by spot welding. To one face of the body I I there issecured by screws M a handle 95, and to another face of the body iithere is secured by screws [6 a spirit level I! having bubbles l8, l9and 20. A plurality of apertures 2| and 22 are provided in two sidefaces of the body and they are in axial alignment.

Mounted for adjustable and slidable movement on the body on its upperportion is a sleeve 23 having ends 24 and 25, end 25 being provided witha through aperture that receives a bolt 26 adapted for engagement withone of the apertures 2| for locking engagement by a nut 21 to the bodyH. Between the ends 24 and 25 there is a reduced portion 28, thisportion being integral with the ends 24 and 25. The end 24 is providedwith an arm 29 that is integral with it, and it is provided with aplurality of apertures 36, the arm 29 being adapted to be positioned onthe staff either on the left or right side due to the sleeve 23 beingslidable on the shaft. Mounted on arm 29 is a slidable arm 3! havingguide lugs 32, the end 33 of the arm being disposed at a right angle.The slidable arm 31 isjprovided-with an aperture that .receives a bolt 334 that secures a plate 35 having a slot 36 to the arm, the plate due tothe slot 36 being adjustable vertically. A nut 31 on the bolt 34 looksthe plate to the arm, the slidable arm 3| being secured to the arm 29 bybolt 38 and nut 39.

Below the spirit level |1 there is mounted a strap 40 having horizontalarms 4|, a central aperture 42, a plurality of apertures 43 and avertical portion 44 that serves to hold the strap to one face of thebody i The horizontal arms 4| of the strap are engaged by a plate 45having a central aperture that is aligned with the aperture 42, a bolt46 passing through the apertures 42 and aligned aperture in plate 45 andreceiving a nut 4! that secures the strap to the body The plate 45 isprovided with finger lugs 48, the inner edges of the finger lugsimpinging side walls of the body H, the finger lugs serving as aclamping means for the strap. The strap 49 is adjustable vertically onthe body due to the plurality of apertures 22. Mounted on the arms 4| ofthe strap 40 are extension arms 49 that may be of any suitable length,having at one end guide lugs 50 that hold the extension arms 49 forslidable movement on the arms 4|, the opposite end 5| of the extensionarms 49 being disposed at right angles thereto. As shown in Figure 5 theextension arms 49 are extended and they are secured to arms 4| by bolts52 that engage apertures 43, the bolts being secured by nuts 53.

In Figures 7 and 8 which are diagrammatic, the numeral 55 representsground level, 56 a trench and 51 the bottom of the trench. On one sideof the trench batter boards 58 are erected at designated distances, thebatter boards comprising vertical stakes 53 driven into the ground, anda cross arm 63 secured to the stakes, the cross arm being on anapproximate grade. The end 6| of the cross arm has positioned thereon astring 62 that establishes the grade line.

To use the device after a trench has been dug, batter boards 58 areerected at designated distances on one side of a trench, and at one end6| of the cross arms 66 that are secured to stakes 59 there ispositioned a grade line string 62.

In the use of the device, pipe 55 may be upended or placed horizontallyon the ground, the strap 46 having horizontal arms 4| and 49 beingadjusted up or down until the arms are approximately on the horizontaldiameter of pipe 65, the arm 49 then adjusted to the inner diameter ofthe end 68 of the pipe or to the inner diameter of the bell 67, thebolts 52 inserted and passed through apertures 43, through the alignedapertures in the ends of the arms 49, and the nuts 53 tightened, thussecuring the extension arms 49 to the arms 4|. If desired the arms 49may be adjusted to proper diameter by using a rule.

After the above operation the sleeve 23 is moved up or down on the stafiuntil the arm 29 is at the proper grade level, the bolt 26 is thenpassed through the apertures in the end 24 and the apertures 2| in thebody of the stafi l6 and the nut 21 then tightened. The slidable arm 3|is next adjusted until one edge of the plate 35 engages the grade linestring 62, the bolt 33 placed in the apertures in the arms 29 and 3| andsecured by the nut 39.

As indicated by the arrow in Figure 8, pipe is laid in the direction ofthe arrow, gravel or cement placed on the floor 51 of trench 55, pipe 65then lowered into the trench, the base |2 of the stafi l placed in thepipe (as shown in Figure .8) and gravel or cement adjusted until 4 thebottom of the slidable arm 3| and the edge of the plate 35 engage thegrade line string 62. One of the levels will indicate if the stafi isbeingheld in vertical position.

The handle |5 provides a means for holding the staff in a verticalposition or in an angular position, the position being established bythe bubbles l8, l9 and 20. The handle also provides a means for movingthe staff I0 along various stations and to the pipes as they are laid ina trench.

From the above description it can be seen, and as illustrated in Figure7, the grade line is offset from the center of the trench, and by theprovision of arms 29 and 3|, and arms 4| and 49, pipe will always belaid on the center line of a trench and at the exact depth grade.

The grade line establishes the rate of grade to which pipe is to belaid. The staff and its adjustable arms are set, one for the rate ofgrade, the other for the diameter of the pipe, the base of the staff orbody to engage the inner diameter of the pipe. The pipe is adjusted asto elevation by bringing the inner diameter of the pipe to the base |2of the body II, the distance of grade being the distance between thebase l2 and the bottom edge of the slidable arm 3|, and one edge of theplate 35, the arm 3| having been set for the exact grade on the bodyWhile the invention has been disclosed in connection with certainspecific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that these are byway of example rather than by way of limitations and that the inventionis to be defined by the attendant claims which should be given a scopeas broad as is consistent with the prior art.

What is claimed is:

l. A grade instrument for aligning a string of pipe with a grade linestring comprising a body, upper and lower arms carried by said body andadapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment on said body, a base onsaid body disposed rearwardly of the front face of said body andengageable with the inner peripheral wall of a pipe, and a memberadjustably mounted on and at right angles to said upper arms, one edgeof said member and one edge of one of said upper arms contacting thegrade line string to determine the proper position for a pipe in atrench.

2. A grade instrument for aligning a string of pipe with a grade linestring comprising a body, upper and lower arms carried by said body andadapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment on said body, a base onsaid body disposed rearwardly of the front face of said body andengageable with the inner peripheral wall of a pipe, and a memberadjustably mounted on and at right angles to said upper arms, one edgeof said member and one edge of one of said upper arms contacting thegrade line string, said lower arms on said body being adjustablehorizontally to the diameter of a pipe to position said body centrallyof said pipe and thereby enable pipe to be laid to the exact grade of agrade line string. 1

3. A grade instrument for aligning a horizontal pipe with a horizontalgrade line string above said pipe and offset with respect thereto,comprising a vertical body, a sleeve slidably adjustable vertically onthe upper end of said body, an upper arm mounted on said sleeve andhorizontally adjustable thereon, a slotted plate carried by said upperarm and vertically adjustable thereon, said plate being adapted toengage the grade line string, a strap carried by saidbody 5 at the lowerend of said body and vertically Number adjustable thereon, and a pair oflower arms 922,143 carried by said strap and horizontally adjust-1,026,579 able thereon, the ends of said lower arms ex- 1,060,284tending equidistantly from the body and being 5 1,194,460 adapted toengage the inner rim of the pipe. 1,279,031 JOHN A. MITCHELL. 1,336,0041,576,453 REFERENCES CITED 2 334 4 The following references are ofrecord in the 10 2,503,403 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date 156,736 595,860 NicholsDec. 21, 1897 15 5 791,900 Hall June 6, 1905

